Description

Application July 31, 1943, Serial No. 496,863 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-432) This invention relates to medical or surgical appliances and refers more particularly to an improved device for covering and protecting a wound, incision or other injury to the outer surface of the human body which requires periodical examination, treatment and dressing.

The invention broadly comprehends a device of the indicated character which is so constructed as to provide a displaceable transparent covering for a wound, which while serving to effectively cover, protect and maintain the same in a clean sterile condition, renders the wound readily visible at all times for examination and easily accessible for treatment and dressing thereof without requiring the removal and replacement of the usual bandaging.

More particularly, the invention i directed to a protective co ering for-wounds which embodies a frame member having means for securing the same against the skin in surrounding relation to the wound together with a transparent cover member displaceably associated with the frame to allow for visual examination of the wound without the necessity of removing the cover member and to ermit of ready access to the wound by displacing the cover for treating and dressing the same.

As a further feature, the invention resides in the provision of protective device of the indicated character in which the frame member is composed of hingedly connected sections permitting of their disposal at relatively different angular.

positions so as to accommodate itself more closely to the contour of the surface about the wound.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention is set forth in greater detail in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wound protector constructed in accordance with one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wound protector embodying another form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a. similar sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a wound protector illustrating a further modification of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view therethrough taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference and particularly to the form of the invention illustrated in Flgs.'1 and 2, I0 designates a flexible base of fabric or any other suitable material having a central aperture H and which base has the under surface thereof covered with an adhesive coating42 over which is arranged a protective sheet I 3 of gauze or the like adapted to be stripped therefrom when the adhesive is to be exposed for use. While the base In is shown as of annular form, it is to be understood that the same may be of any desired shape within the scope of the invention.

A frame member l5 corresponding generally to the shape of the base I0 is bonded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of said base and the inner marginal edge of the frame which as an upstanding flange i6 is in substantial registry with the inner marginal edge of the base which defines the central aperture H thereof. The frame is of a relatively rigid material as compared with the base and may be formed of any one of the various synthetic plastics now in general use.

In addition to the base l0 and the frame I5. the protector includes a dome shaped cover I8 adapted to telescopically fit over the upstanding flange l6 of the frame and said cover is constructcdof a transparent material made of any of said well known synthetic plastic compositions in order to permit of observation and visual examination of a wound covered by the protector without the necessity of uncovering the same. The cover I8 is displaceably associated with the frame in any desired manner to permit of ready access to the wound for the purpose of treating or dressing the same without the necessity of removing or disturbing the remainder of the protector device. As herein illustrated, the cover I8 is connected at one side by a hinge i9 to one side of the frame l5 for swinging movement to and from a covering relation thereto. It is thus apparent. that the wound protector may take the place of and may be more rapidly applied to a wound than a bandage and has many advantages over any type of bandage, for instance, when this type of protector is applied as a first aid measure it does not have to be removed until after the wound is healed.

While the adhesively coated base In may be capable of retaining the protector in covering relation to the wound in many instances, in some cases additional or auxiliary retaining means may be required. For this purpose, a pair or band sections 20 and 2| are anchored respectively to opposite sides of the frame by securing the same through slots 22 in the frame. The free ends of the same may be adiustably secured together in any desired manner such as by training the free end of one band section through a buckle 23 attached to the free end of the other band section. In order to releasably retain the cover l8 in closed relation to the frame I5, a suitable latch 24 is provided at the side of the frame opposite to the hinge connection is and said latch is adapted to engage a keeper opening 25 formed in the cover.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing, the protector is of the same general construction as that previously disclosed, the base l being identical therewith. In this instance however, the frame is made up of a pair of mating semi-circular sections 30 and 3| respectively formed with flanges 32 and 33 at the inner marginal edges thereof. The said sections are connected together for limited swinging movement with reference to each other so that they may lie in a common plane or be disposed at relative angular positions to more readily conform to the contour of the surface surrounding the wound. As shown the means of connection between the sections consists of aligned hinges 34, the meeting edges of the sections being bevelled as at 35 to permit downward relative movement thereof and the adjacent edges of the flanges 32 and 33 being cut away at an angle to permit limited upward swinging of the sections.

In this form of the invention, the cover 36 is of substantially semispherical concavo-convex form with the flanges conforming to the curvature of the inner surface thereof and hingedly connected by hinge means 31 to one of the frame sections 30 adjacent its juncture with the other frame section 3| with a latch means 38 for holding the cover in closed relation to the frame. In order to compensate for relative movement between the section 3i and the cover 36 when the section 3i is swung upwardly or downwardly with reference t the section 30 and the cover, the flange 33 of the section 3| is extended slightly upward as at 39 to underlie the cut-away side 40 of the cover 35. This prevents the cover 36 and flange 33 from being separated in any relative position they may assume.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the frame 45 is of an elongated form having an upstanding flange or rim 46 at its inner marginal edge and a transparent cover 41 is connected thereto by a hinge means 48, said cover being releasably retained in covering relation with the frame by a latch means 49. In this instance the flexible base 50 having a central opening registering with flanged inner edge of the frame, is provided with oppositely projecting tapering extensions 52 and 53 integral with the base and terminating in relatively narrow band portions 54 and 55. The underside of the base 50 and the tapering extensions 52 and 53 are provided with an adhesive coating adapted to be adhered to the skin in surrounding relation to the wound. The relatively narrow band portions are not coated with the adhesive but the terminal of the band portion 54 has a buckle secured thereto which is adapted to receive and adjustably retain the terminal of the band portion 55. The cover 41 is provided with vent openings 51 which may be formed in any of the cover members where the wound is of the type which should be ventilated.

What is claimed is:

1. A wound protector including a centrally apertured flexible base having an adhesively coated under surface for attaching the same in surrounding relation to a wound, a relatively rigid frame of lesser area than the base and bonded to the upper surface thereof with the inner margins of said base and frame in substantial registry with each other, an upstanding flange at the inner margin of said frame, a". transparent cover telescopically fltted over the flange of said frame, means for releasably retaining said cover in closed relation to said frame and auxiliary means for retaining the protector in place consisting of band sections anchored to opposite sides of the protector and overlying opposite edge portions of said flexible base and having means for fastenin together the free ends thereof so as to compress the frame against the flexible base and retain the adhesivesurface of said flexible base in contact with the surface of the skin adjacent the wound.

2. In a wound protector, a pair of relatively rigid mating semic'ircular frame sections hingedly connected for relative movement from a common plane to limited upwardly and downwardly disposed angular relations so as to conform to the contour of the skin in surrounding relation to the wound, upstanding flanges at the inner marginal edges of the frame sections, a transparent semi-spherical cover hingedly connected to one of the frame sections for movement to and from a closed relation fitting over the flanges of Y both sections, said cover having a cut-away portion at one side thereof to compensate for the upwardly disposed angular relation of the frame sections, the flange of one frame section being extended upwardly to underlie the cut-away portion of the cover when the frame sections are arranged in a downwardly disposed angular relation and means for retaining the protector upon the skin in juxtaposition to the wound.

3. In a wound protector, an apertured flexible base having an adhesively coated under surface for attaching the same in surrounding relation to a wound, a frame secured to said flexible base and including oppositely disposed upstanding flange portions together defining a rim extending about the aperture in the flexible base and having movement relative to each other so as to conform the same to the contour of the skin about the wound, and a cover hingedly connected to the frame for movement thereof to and from closed relation overlying said flange portions, said cover being cut away along one side thereof and one of said flange portions being extended upwardly to underlie the edge of the cut away portion of said cover so as to compensate for relative movement of the flange portions of said frame.